The Pilgrim Behind the Lens

Every pilgrimage begins before the first step is taken. Sometimes a journey starts with a question, a life-changing event or the need to step away from the rush of everyday life. For me, the passing of my father, who was also a photographer and with whom I shared a close bond, became such a turning point. He died during the first wave of Covid, at a time when saying goodbye was almost impossible. I needed rest, space and a new horizon.

While searching for a pilgrimage route, I discovered Britain's Pilgrim Places, a comprehensive guide to ancient pilgrimage routes and sacred places across the United Kingdom. One route immediately caught my attention: the Cornish Celtic Way. For centuries, pilgrims from Ireland, Wales and England travelled to Cornwall, crossing the Channel from there to France on their way to Santiago de Compostela.

When I arrived in Cornwall in the summer of 2021, I discovered much more than a walking route. I found a landscape where nature, history and spirituality are still deeply connected. Ancient churches, Celtic crosses, holy wells and rugged coastal paths tell stories that have survived through generations. Walking through Cornwall is not only a journey through a remarkable landscape, but also a journey through time.

"Every landscape tells a story. Sometimes you simply need to slow down to hear it."

Many people walk a route. I try to read it as well. As a photographer, I am fascinated by the stories hidden in landscapes, weathered stones, ancient paths and encounters along the way. Photography invites us to look with attention and to capture moments that might otherwise remain unnoticed.
In my daily life, I combine two passions. As a lecturer at UCLL University College Leuven-Limburg, I support students in their personal and professional development. As a professional photographer, I search for images that do not simply show what something looks like, but reveal something about people, places and moments.

The Cornish Celtic Way is the result of these two worlds coming together. This project aims to be more than a collection of photographs or a walking guide. It is an invitation to look again with attention: at the landscape, the history, the people you meet and perhaps also at yourself. I hope these images and stories inspire you not only to visit Cornwall, but to truly experience it.

I walked the Cornish Celtic Way alone, carrying my camera in my backpack. I never imagined that this personal pilgrimage would grow into a travelling exhibition and a multilingual website. When a young colleague and videographer saw the photographs, he spontaneously suggested returning to Cornwall together. During that journey, we filmed and interviewed people who help shape the Cornish Celtic Way today. In this way, a personal pilgrimage grew into a story that I would like to share with you.

Perhaps these photographs and stories will one day bring you to Cornwall yourself. Or perhaps they will simply help you look at the path ahead with different eyes. Because every pilgrimage begins long before the first step is taken.

Luk Collet